Adventure Time: Finding One's Self
by ZestySweetHeart
Summary: "Flame just broke up with me. That sucks. Marshall wants to help me learn to live my life for ME. I'm a hero, I live to help others. But maybe it's about time I help myself." This story reveals Fionna and Marshall's innermost feelings as they embark on an adventure no one saw coming. Meet new characters and wrap your mind around this crazy story as Fionna fights for her very heart.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, readers! Fast forward in time until Fionna is about sixteen, almost seventeen years old. She and Flame have been dating on and off for the past three years, and the relationship has had its ups and downs. Her friends and family are beginning to get tired of always seeing her hurting; they don't appreciate Flame's attitude and don't believe for a second that he genuinely loves her. This first chapter consists of the final straw- another break up and a really bad double reaction.** **Enjoy!**

CHAPTER ONE

Fionna's POV

"I HATE HIM! I CAN'T BELIEVE HE DID THAT TO ME! HOW COULD HE DO THIS TO ME!?" I screamed as I stormed into the treehouse, throwing my rucksack against the wall. My older sister, Cake, didn't even turn around to look at me as I stalked over to the couch and flopped gracelessly into it's familiar, old, squishy, tattered, comforting cushions.

"What'd Flame do this time?" She said, her not-quite emotionless and annoyingly cryptic voice questioned as if my dramatic entrance was something to be expected, and my freak-outs were normal, and as if my idiotic boyfriend of three years was usually a total butthole… Oh, wait…

"Uuuunnhh…" I groaned into a pillow and beat the arm of the couch half-heartedly with my fist before mumbling an answer around the once-fluffy thing that covered my face. "He freakin' broke up with me again…" After a few torturous moments of silence I felt the couch dip as she sat down next to me and pulled me into her lap.

"Sweetie, you and that hot-head have broken up fourteen times in the past three months. Don't you think it's, I dunno, a sign or somethin'?" I snuggled into her, relishing the softness of her orange and white fur, breathing in the scent of sugar, spice, and the catnip her boyfriend kept on giving her, and sighed.

"Or somethin'…" I whispered half-heartedly. I wasn't about to admit that I was beginning to have my doubts about Flame. We have been together on and off for the past three years, and we've been through so much together. I mean, when we first met he nearly killed me, and then he nearly burned down my house, and then he nearly destroyed the entire Goblin Kingdom, among other kingdoms… And then there was that other time we had our first kiss and he almost died, and also almost killed everyone in Aaa…

"Fionna, if it's "or somethin'" then the two of you have got to get it figured out, because this whole 'imma break up with you then crawl back to you and beg you to love me again because I don't got a clue how to survive without a pretty girl constantly upping my man points and I have raging hormones and my mama never loved me during my childhood and you complete me even though I can't even hold your hand without having to put up a flame shield or else I'll burn your hand off but I love you so what the lump' soap opera garbage seriously has to stop!" I had sat up during her rant and continued to glare at her when she FINALLY took a breath… She definitely exceeded her sass level for tonight.

"Are you done?" I asked, crossing my arms in order to show my frustration.

"I'm never done, sweetie," she said, reaching out to pull me in for another hug. But I pushed her away and stood up, stepping away from the couch.

"Well maybe you should be done!" I snapped, clenching my fists. Her shackles stood up and her eyes narrowed at me, and she hissed.

"No, you and that STUPID, fireballing, lame-nuts EXCUSE for a Flame King should be done!" I growled in frustration, and turned and forcibly pulled my trademark bunny hat off my head and threw it onto the floor.

"You never liked Flame in the first place," I said, seething. And she shot right back.

"So why'd you ever date him in the first place?" Oh, it is on.

"Because I have a right to live my own life and make my own decisions, Cake!"

"Aaaannnnd nineteen break-ups later-"

"EIGHTEEN! The first one doesn't even, like, count!"

"Whatever, Fi-fi, he still broke up with you."

"Really? Like I didn't already know that."

"Well, I'm glad you noticed after he KEPT ON breaking up with you!"

"Yeah, but I always get him back."

"Because he knows you'll take him back!"

"Because he loves me enough to-"

"NO! DANG IT, FIONNA!" By this time Cake had grown to at least five times her usual size, and had bared her fangs and was full on yelling at me. "It's because he knows you're STUPID AND NAIVE enough to keep on letting him TAKE ADVANTAGE of you and WALK ALL OVER you because you ploppin' CARE too much!" She was breathing hard, I could hear her… But Glob knows I wouldn't look at her.

She'd see the tears if I looked at her.

"I don't have to deal with this right now," I said, trying to control my voice so she wouldn't realize I was trying not to lose it. "I'm going out… I'll be back when you're ready to be my friend again instead of an insensitive butthole." I grabbed my bag walked out the door, slamming it behind me. Less than ten seconds later it was thrown open again, and Cake was yelling.

"I'm your SISTER, Fionna, I'm not supposed to be your friend, I'm SUPPOSED to be an insensitive butthole!" I didn't answer her. I couldn't. "Fionna, get back here! Fionna!"

"Just keep walking, Fi," I muttered to myself.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?" Glob, she's so loud, I thought. I took a shaking breath.

"I already TOLD you," I managed to shout back without my voice cracking through the tears. "OUT!"

"FINE! DON'T TELL ME WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" She screamed.

"I WON'T!" I screamed back.

"IT'S NOT LIKE I CARE!" She threw a vase of flowers out the door and it shattered onto the path. "GO TAKE OUT YOUR FRUSTRATIONS ON SOME STUPID MONSTERS IN SOME STUPID DUNGEON OR SOMETHING!" She lunged forward and kicked the sad little flower, destroying any chance of its survival. "WITHOUT ME!"

"WHATEVER, CAKE!" I kicked a rock, and it ricocheted off a tree and hit my foot. It freaking hurt. I bit my tongue hard enough to make it bleed.

"WHATEVER, FIONNA!" I heard her scream one last time before an incredibly loud BANG was heard as Cake slammed the door hard. I took another deep breath, and tasted blood.

"Crap," I sighed, adjusting my bag more comfortably on my shoulder. I hated fighting with Cake; I always did. But it just ended up happening. I mean, we're sisters! Sisters fight all the time! And Cake and I have always ended up being okay… She's my best friend, my big sister… She practically raised me. I wasn't worried about her… She was mad, but she'd get over it and end up being the one to apologize later.

So right at that moment, I wasn't worried about Cake at all. I was worried about my stupid boyfriend… Or… Ex-boyfriend, again…

"Ugh, Flame, why do you keep on doing this?" I looked up at the sky, not directly at the slowly setting sun… The sunset painted the sky in beautiful shades of red, gold, pink, purple, and orange. Another thing that just made me think of Flame.

"I hate this…" And it was true. I guess I really did hate it. The back and forth… Cake wasn't too far off when she said all that junk about his reasons for taking me back so many times, though I hate to admit it. He's been a selfish, egotistical, royal pain ever since I met him. But even though he was a pain… Literally, half of the time…

"I still love him… But I'm done. We are just done..." I began to cry softly as I walked, not really paying attention to where I was going. "Why, Glob? Why do I still care so freakin' much? He's such a jerk… I know I can't be with him, I just… I can't get over him… It's freakin' impossible…"

"What's impossible?" The familiar voice caught me off guard, as it spoke in a hushed tone directly into my ear.

"YYYEEIIIIIIIKKKESSS!" I screamed as I whirled around and nearly punched the voice's owner in the face. "MARSHALL-LEE, YOU CREEP! WHAT THE HECK, MAN!?"

 **There you have it folks! Sisters will be jerks when they are trying to help sometimes, even when they fully know that the consequences may not be great. We'll get back to Cake the cat later on... But in this next chapter we shall see what Marshall has to say about the situation. Read and Review, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Marshall-Lee has come on the scene, and has just surprised our favorite bunny-eared heroine to the point of screaming and nearly** **punching** **him in the face. Let's see what happens next, shall we? (No, it's not a lemon. Stop asking. This story needs to process a little more slowly than my previous stories.)**

CHAPTER TWO

Fionna's POV

The vampire laughed as he held my fist captive in one of his icy hands.

"I could ask you the same question… What're you doing wandering around the woods at this time of night?" I looked at the sky and took note of the hazy purples, blues, and grays that were quickly fading into the darkness.

"Is it a bad thing for me to take a walk and watch the sunset?" I retorted, not really seeing how it was any of his business.

"It's not sunset anymore, princess. It's twilight… Dusk… Time for bad guys like me," He floated upside-down over my head and smirked down at me, "To paint the town red, and for good little girls like you," he unceremoniously booped my nose, "To go to bed." I blushed furiously and rubbed my nose as I backed away from him.

"First of all… Don't call me princess. Second of all, back off! How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not just some good little girl! I don't have a bedtime anymore, Marshall. I'm sixteen, for Glob's sake!" Marshall snickered and flipped right-side-up again.

"We've already talked about this, baby, you're the hero. Society's little angel. You're the cherry on top of the sundae that is Aaa, and you're almost as much of a goody two shoes as the Gumwad… Especially lately."

"WHAT!? I am NOTHING like Gumball!" I argued. He crossed his arms and shook his head. "I'M NOT LIKE HIM. And I'm definitely not a goody two shoes!" He laughed mockingly.

"AH! Hahahahahahaha! Ha… Look, Fionna, I'm not trying to be a jerk. But lately you haven't been yourself. You've been in a crappy funk for weeks now! You're super moody and you never hang out anymore…" He trailed off, and looked kind of sad for a second before shaking it off. "You're always working. Going off on some quest with the Cupcake, doing some noble deed, or saving some idiotic royal pain in the-"

"Somebody has to do it…" I muttered. "I don't see you trying to help anybody out." He blinked, and put his pale hands on his narrow hips, emphasizing his trim waistline that showed just a tiny bit when his shirt rode up slightly.

"Um, Fi? I'm a vampire? I don't try to help anybody out. It's not exactly a thing that vampires do."

"Well, isn't that stereotypical," I snorted. "You don't usually do stereotypes. What's the matter with you tonight?" Marshall's jaw dropped.

"What!? What's the matter with ME!?" He moved in really close really fast and grabbed onto my shoulders and shook me a little bit. "No, no, no, no, no, Fionna, I came over here and hunted down your sorry butt so I could find out what's the matter with YOU." I looked him square in the eyes.

"Why?" Marshall-Lee's face got the slightest shade paler, and he gulped. I'm not sure why he gulped. He's a flippin' vampire. He doesn't need to breathe. "Why do you care if something's the matter with me? Why do you suddenly care if I'm okay or not? Why does it matter to you if I never hang out anymore? You've always acted like a jerk, like it doesn't matter if I'm there or not, and you do just fine without me around, so I just don't see why any of that even matters, and-"

"It's because I actually give a crap, okay!?" He was trembling now. "I actually CARE a little bit. Is that so bad? So, maybe, MAYBE I actually WANTED to help you out a little. Help you get out of this stupid funk that's getting you down." For once, I was at a loss for words.

"I… I'm not in a… A funk, Marsh, I just-"

"It's Flame," he said. I blushed bright red again, and took a sharp breath.

"Excuse me?" I stuttered. "What are you-?" He interrupted me again, hitting me with a barrage of emotion that I really wasn't ready for.

"It's because of Flame. He's always tearing you down and building you back up again for his own amusement. He cares, but not in the way you need him to care. He's selfish, Fi. He's a royal bastard who only cares about himself, and you make him feel good. So he keeps you around until you threaten one of his plans, then he breaks up with you to get you out of the way, and when he gets bored again he turns on the charm and does whatever he can to get HIS way. And don't tell me I'm the only one who sees that, because I'm not." I was looking down at the ground, tears pooling in my eyes. I was trying so hard not to cry.

"Fionna," Marshall sighed, and placed a finger under my chin and made me look at him. "I'm not trying to be a jerk. I just hate seeing you get hurt over and over and over again. How many times has he broken up with you now? Nineteen?"

"Eighteen…" My voice broke and I began to cry, which was definitely not part of the plan… If I even had a plan… Which I didn't. So I just cried. "And it's always for some dumb reason that doesn't make any sense…" Marshall pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back, only because I didn't feel the usual push to fight him.

"I dunno, that first time I'm pretty sure his reason was because fire and water don't exactly play well together and he didn't want to destroy the world… I think that's a pretty good reason. And the second time was because he didn't think that having a girlfriend and ruling a kingdom full of unstable fire demons was going to be very easy, and you being such a huge part of his life has got to be really distracting." I blinked away a few more tears as I looked up at him.

"D-distracting? How?" Marshall dropped his hands and backed away from me a little bit, quickly, as if I'd burned him.

"Are you kidding me right now, Fionna? Has he not once tried to explain himself even a little bit?" I chuckled halfheartedly.

"Oh, he's tried, it's just that every time he tries he ends up not making any sense, then he just explodes and breaks up with me again." Marshall stared at me in silence for a few seconds then closed his eyes.

"This sucks," he said. Then he opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Again, not that he had to breathe or anything like that. "Fionna, there are a million and one reasons why he, and probably a lot of other guys, find you distracting. For one, you're different from any other girl in Aaa, you're one of a kind. You're really awesome…"

I felt a funny feeling rising up in my stomach, and crossed my arms tightly under my chest and pressed against my flat tummy hard to make the odd sensation stop. And he stopped talking, and odd expression on his face as he stared at me.

"Marshall?" I hiccuped. He snapped back into reality.

"What?" He shook his head. "Oh, right. What did I just say?" I blushed.

"I'm different," I brushed my long blonde hair out of my face, mentally kicking myself for forgetting to grab my hat. "And awesome, I guess…" He looked away from me then, gulping again. Something must be wrong, I thought, because this whole gulping for air like a fish out of water thing isn't normal. "Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No," he quickly replied. "Everything is fine. I mean, it's not fine that you're upset because that walking torch keeps hurting you. Which is why I'm here. To help you get over it."

 **Marshall, Marshall, Marshall... What do you think you're doing, buddy? How is he going to help Fionna get over Flame Prince? (No, I'm not going to go straight into a lemon. Gosh. It'll happen eventually, just not quite yet...) Gimme some ideas, folks! Read and review! I hope you like this!**

 **Also, I need a bit of help here. I need a name for a rock band that will show up later on in the story. Help me out, guys! Whoever's name idea I pick gets an OC in the story, if they so desire. Thanks guys! Please read and review, and gimme some name ideas for that band!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I get tired of writing from the same POV all the time, so here's a new perspective: Marshall-Lee's! I hope you enjoy this glimpse into his thoughts. It's gonna be fuuuunnn! Let me know if this is too OOC. I'm not trying to go for that. But this is going to be eventual Fiolee, so keep that in mind here as well. Thanks! I hope you like!**

CHAPTER THREE

Marshall's POV

She blinked. Twice. She always blinks twice when she's confused, I thought, storing away another little thing about her that I'd never forget in the back of my mind. There are a lot of those little things, I realized.

"W-w-w-what?" She stuttered- Just like that, I thought, her nervous stutter is another of those things!- and then she took a step back. I held my arms up, trying to reassure her. I wasn't sure if this was a good idea… If any of this was a good idea.

"I'm going to help you get over Flame King," I said it slowly, hoping she would take it at least somewhat well.

"Marshall! I can't just get over Flame," she said, her voice raising an octave because she was upset. "Cake is right- I ploppin' care too much! It's impossible!" She turned around and raised her fist to punch the big tree behind her, but I grabbed on to her arm.

"Fionna! Stop!" She struggled against me as I forced her to turn around and look at me. "Stop telling yourself it's impossible to get over him! I did that once, with Ashley, and you know what happened? I got bitter and my life literally sucked for like three hundred years. You can't tell yourself it's impossible or you'll never get over it!" She was crying, and pulled away from me, and I watched as she sank to the ground.

My heart was breaking for this kid. She had over time become my best friend; and though I knew that she didn't see me as her best friend, the fact of the matter is that Fionna was the only one who had ever actually tried. She was the only one who cared enough to try to be my friend. She was the closest friend I had ever had, and that meant a lot.

Of course, there were people I had been close to… For example, my ex-girlfriend, Ashley; but she used me. And Bartholomew, who had been a good friend once, years ago, just stopped being close. He was always too busy, always doing something nerdy and uncool, always acting as if he was better than me just because he wore a crown and actually face the responsibility of ruling his rightful kingdom, whereas I ran away from my "responsibilities"…

But those responsibilities consisted of me actually spending time with my mom, giving up my music, forgetting about my friends, and becoming a crazy psycho monster and ruling the Nightosphere for all eternity. If Bartholomew Gumball had been in my shoes, he'd have run away too, and that much is just obvious. But, you know… He did his thing, I did mine. People change.

But that was what I was afraid of, why I was here. I didn't want Fionna to change because of Flame King. I didn't want her to keep on living like this, getting her heart broken all the time because of the jerk. I wanted her to get over it, to move on, and to live her life for her and not for some walking, talking fireball.

"Fionna, please," I said, kneeling down in front of her. "It's going to be okay. Just let me help you…" She scooted back until her back hit the tree, and I sat next to her and pulled her close. She was tense, stiff, and trying so hard to stop crying. I rubbed her arm for a couple minutes until she calmed down enough to talk. She started to stand, shaking, and I helped her up. She leaned against the tree, letting it's strong trunk support her as she spoke.

"What makes you think you can help me just get over him?" She asked, sadness and disbelief heavy in her voice. "How can you?" I cupped her face in my hand and turned her to look at me, wiping a tear off of her cheek.

"The same way I got over Ashley," I said, sending up a silent prayer to Glob, begging for help. I had to do this for her, and I knew that it wasn't going to be easy for me. It would be the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

"I'm gonna teach you how to live life for you, and no one else. You're gonna be detached and not care about what everyone else does or thinks. It's gonna be all about you, Fionna. You can learn how to have fun without getting emotional and letting crap happen that messes you up. I'm gonna teach you." I ran my hands down her arms and took her hands, noting the goosebumps that appeared as I did so. "How does all that sound?" She was staring down at the ground, deep in thought.

"It sounds like… You," she said. "Like you want me to learn how to be just like you…"

"Crap, Fionna, that's not what I mean," I said, dropping her hands and turning around, exasperated. "Yeah, I know that sounds like me. But listen, this is about you, NOT me. You need to learn how to be you without worrying about everything else. I just want you to relax, and have fun, and realize that you don't need some stupid boyfriend in order to be happy." She blinked again. And again, that's twice, I thought.

She stood there in complete silence for what seemed like ages. Dear Glob, please make her understand! I have to help her, I thought. No matter what it takes.

 **There, now you see kind of how Marshall thinks here. Please review, I'm not so sure if I'm loving my Marshall POV yet... I want to get it just right. You know? Thanks guys, you're awesome!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter was a little tough to write. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not completely happy with how it turned out, but I sat in front of my laptop for hours trying to figure out how to fix it. Maybe one of you guys can give me some pointers... Enjoy!**

CHAPTER FOUR

Marshall's POV

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of thinking, Fionna spoke. "So… What you're saying is stop focusing on the relationship…"

"Non-existent relationship," I corrected.

"Oh, shut up, I'm thinking," she quipped, as she began to pace back and forth, arms crossed again, accentuating her large breasts and strong arms. I gulped, then looked away. This is what's going to make this so hard, I inwardly groaned. I couldn't help being attracted to her; Fionna was beautiful, probably one of the most beautiful girls I had ever met, and at the end of the day she always managed to always look really hot. Not to mention she was actually cool, and fun to hang out with, and always managed to keep things interesting. One time I actually thought about the possibility of dating her…

But that was impossible. Even if I'd have been stupid enough to go for her in the first place, she had always been obsessed with Gumwad. And then she got over him, when she started seeing Flame King. And it was good for her, for a while; he helped her get over Prince Gumball. But it just got out of hand, and they weren't good for each other anymore. But even though I knew I couldn't date her, because I just suck at relationships and I really don't need a girlfriend, I couldn't keep watching her get her heart broken.

So, my plan was to take her out, show her a good time, focus all my energies on making her happy and independent again, and make her forget about Flame. But it wasn't going to be easy… I would have to focus on the fact that she doesn't need a boyfriend, and she doesn't need to get hurt again. Being more than friends with me would totally defeat the purpose of what I was trying to do. But then, why would she want to be more than friends with me? It's not like if I ever asked her out she'd say-

"Okay!" I snapped back into reality and realized she was standing directly in front of me.

"What?" I asked, attempting to force any thoughts of dating this girl into the vault. She smiled at me, her blue eyes glittering in the pale moonlight.

"Let's do it. I'll let you help me out," she said. "I mean, you're right. I've been so busy focusing on fifty billion other things that I haven't had any me-time in ages! It'll be nice to relax and have some fun." I laughed and half-heartedly punched her on the arm; I had the sudden urge to give her a hug, but punching her was a better idea… It didn't involve having her in my arms. So, playfully punching it was.

"Alright!" I said, jumping up into the air and doing a somersault, excited that she wasn't going to fight me on this. "Awesome. Let's get started." I started floating in the direction of the perfect place to start her "rehabilitation."

"Tonight? Like, now? Right now?" She asked, running after me so she was at my side.

"Right now," I confirmed. She sped up and around so that she was walking backwards facing me.

"Right now, right now? As in, we're starting this right now at this moment in time?"

"Yup!" She stopped in her tracks, and I floated over her head as she began to argue with me.

"Marshall, it's like, almost the middle of the night!" I looked over my shoulder at her and grinned.

"Don't wanna be out past your bedtime?" She glared at me, and I knew I had her. She stalked over to me and punched my arm hard. "Ow, hahaha! Cool it, Fi, I'm kidding, you know I'm kidding!"

"Whatever, Marshall," she sniffed and matched my pace as I began moving again. "Where are we going, exactly?" I smiled again. It always was easier to smile when I was with her than anyone else.

"You'll see," I said. She sighed dramatically and began to complain.

"Aw, come ON, Marshall! Can't you at least tell me where we're going?" I looked at her, noting the wrinkle in her forehead that formed as she scrunched her eyebrows together in frustration.

"Do you trust me?" I asked, out of nowhere. I had meant to tell her no and let her bug me about it until we got there, but… "Like, do you really trust me?" The wrinkle disappeared, and she got a very calm, serious look on her face as she nodded slowly.

"Yes," she said firmly. "I trust you." I hadn't expected to get this rush of relief, but I did, and I sighed.

"Okay," I said. "Good. That's enough then." I sped up a little as we began to scale a steep hill that was overgrown with thick, scratchy bushes and weeds.

"I get your point, but I don't get why I- oof, stupid bush- why I can't just know where we're going…" I got to the top before she did, and waited for a minute. Perks of being a vampire, I don't have to deal with walking uphill; I could always just float. When she got to the top, I took her hand and helped her up.

"Here we are!" I said, pointing to a small, abandoned shack that was built around the base of a huge tree. She looked at me disparagingly.

"What? You serious?" I opened the loosely hanging door for her, and held my peace.

"After you," I said as she walked in. She glanced around, taking in the sparse, old wooden furniture and the layers of dust coating everything.

"What is this place?" She asked, wiping her finger along a dirty windowsill, drawing a line through the dust. I leaned up against the exposed tree trunk in the middle of the room, and reached up and took hold of a torch hooked to it.

"Welcome," I said as I pulled on the torch, which moved down until it clicked. It was a lever. "To the Hole in the Wall." And a literal hole in the wall appeared as a secret door slid open, revealing a hidden passage. Faint sounds of heavy music in the distance met our ears as she stared down the dark tunnel ahead in surprise, blue eyes open wide in wonder.

"Well, come on!" I said, stepping into the tunnel and holding out my hand to her. "Let's go!" And this time, she didn't argue. Instead she took my hand. Just like that, she trusted me.

And I wasn't one hundred percent sure if that was a good thing.

 **Okay! So, Marshall shows Fionna a secret passage leading to a mysterious place called The Hole in the Wall. Here's a little background on the Hole in the Wall...**

 **First off, it's a club. There's a bar and grill, and a stage and dance floor. There's a band that plays there every weekend. This place is run by a family and has been in their family for hundreds of years... And Marshall has some pretty crazy connections to the family.**

 **Our next chapter will be written from a new POV. Her name is Tilly, and she is the long-time owner of The Hole in the Wall. I hope y'all don't mind OC's, because from this point on there will be quite a few of them. I'll try not to do POV's with them too often though, and stick mainly to Fionna and Marshall, although a few will be involved in the story so much that I may use their POV's a couple of times.**

 **READ AND REVIEW, PEOPLES! Thanks! Also, I am still going to need a good funky name for a rock band. Any ideas? Whoever's idea wins gets an OC in the story. Just saying!**


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Tilly's POV

Rock music was blaring over the sound system. Hot, sweaty bodies were dancing rhythmically to the music, at one with the beat and radiating the intense mood of the club. My husband Kaid was at the bar doing his thing, talking up the regulars while he mixed his special drinks. My son Ozzie was at his post outside, playing his role of the bouncer- big, intimidating, and silent- until one of the pretty girls who frequented our little family establishment showed up to flirt. My twin daughters Kirava and Roxann were out back preparing to put on their little midnight show with their band, Silverbane. And I was in my big, open kitchen, cooking up only the best food for my people.

Altogether, tonight was going accordingly. Perfection was a high standard, but to me, it was a necessity. I wasn't just a five-star chef and classic barmaid- I was a businesswoman. The Hole in the Wall had been my baby for nearly 1,200 years; it was important to me, of course.

"Hey, Ma!" I heard my boy's unusually excited voice in my earpiece.

"Hey, Ozzie," I said, not missing a beat as I flipped six thick, juicy burger patties in rapid succession. "What's up?"

"Guess what the cat dragged in?" Glob, I could almost HEAR him smiling. Whatever was going on outside had to be pretty neat. I turned around fluidly and picked up a bucket of freshly washed potatoes and dumped them in my favorite machine- affectionately dubbed 'The Shredder'- which would quickly shred the spuds into thick slices, just perfect for frying up into my famous bar fries.

"I don't know, kid," I said, watching as the potato wedges rained into a big steel spinner. I liberally dumped Odin's Spice- my late husband's top secret recipe- in with the potatoes and set a mental timer for two minutes. Then I would take all of those perfectly seasoned potato wedges and fry them up to serve with the burgers and make up a batch of Holy Grail Chili Cheese Fries, tonight's house special. "What'd the cat drag in?"

"Tilly!" Bex, one of my two waitresses, a pretty little thing from the Fire Kingdom, called to me through the window. "I need one Holy Grail, a Big Red with extra Red on the side, and I need a Bottomless Pit with Scream Sauce and the Classics!" I smiled at that; Scream Sauce was the spiciest item on my menu, and it was made with the hottest peppers in Aaa. The Classics were the motley trio of ketchup, ranch, and my homemade campfire sauce- barbecue, hot sauce, and mayo jazzed up with some Odin's Spice. The Classics automatically came with the Bottomless Pit, which was endless bar fries all night. You paid extra if you wanted any of my special sauces… And signed a waver the first time you tried Scream Sauce.

"Coming right up!" I hollered as I dumped the fries into my frier- which consisted of a black cauldron full of boiling oil over a fire pit. The crackling sound of the bubbling oil cooking the fries was music to my ears as I cooked and danced and hummed to the tuneless drone of the rock and roll blaring over everything else.

"Ma," Ozzie's voice crackled in my ear again. "You comin' out here? Somebody wants to see ya." I growled as I took my burgers off the grill and started putting together the now seven orders I had to fill. I tossed one more patty coated in Red Sauce- basically ketchup reinvented with a spicy sweet chile twist- on the grill, and then I hollered for Lulu, my new waitress.

"Lulu!" I scooped the fries out of the boiler, set them aside to cool, and slid the six completed burgers onto plates with fries and an assortment of sauces. "Lulu! Order up!" I carried the six plates at once, teetering precariously on my wiry arms. I set them down on the window just as the teen girl wobbled over to the window, seemingly in pain. "What's the matter with you, girl? You gotta work faster than that if you're gonna waitress." The thin candy citizen blushed and glanced down at her feet. I leaned over the bar to look and saw her shoes.

"You gotta be kidding me," I laughed. "How about tomorrow you don't wear five inch heels to work, eh?" Her already pink face turned a couple shades darker as she murmured an agreement and hurriedly gathered up four of the plates and teetered off to deliver the food. Dumb kid, I thought, shaking my head. I didn't want to have to let the kid go, and I wanted to give her a fair chance. I don't think she's worked a day in her life, and she seems a little out of place here, but then… That was me when I first started out, too, I remembered fondly.

"Tilly, I've got trouble at the bar," Kaid's baritone voice rumbled in my earpiece. I smiled, and pulled a hair tie off my wrist and used it to tie my long ponytail up into a messy bun. I always hated my long hair because it was so hard to deal with in my industry, having to work with food and break up fights… Or even start fights.

"I was wondering if Brian was ever gonna show," I replied. "Be right out." I flipped over the Big Red burger patty and grabbed the lettuce, pineapple slices, jalapeños, and pepperjack cheese out of the fridge. "Bex!" Two seconds later and she was at the window.

"Yeah?" She leaned in and swept her fiery bangs out of her dark eyes. I set the ingredients down on the counter and then turned to take the burger off the grill.

"I need to take care of Brian real quick," I said as I slapped the patty on the bun. "Cover for me and finish up that last order you gave me."

"Brian's not here tonight, but okay," she said as she came in the way only she could, flitting through the window by condensing her elemental form into magma and sliding in like a snake. It was kind of creepy, but I was used to it by now. Plus, as long as she didn't ruin my countertops, I was cool with it. Bex had been working with me for about eight years now, since she was just a kid. She kind of grew on me.

"He's not?" I asked, washing my hands before making my way to the door. "Then what's the trouble Kaid's complaining about?" Bex busied herself at the counter.

"This is a popular place," she said lightly. "There's always trouble."

"Truth," I answered as I walked out toward the dimly lit bar. There was a blonde girl with really long hair wearing a miniskirt and crop top sitting alone at the bar, talking to Kaid. She was pretty enough, but I didn't see how she could be much trouble… Until I saw the sword on her hip, and realized how tense she looked.

"What seems to be the problem here?" I crossed my arms and glared at the girl threateningly. She looked at me, eyes wide with apprehension and- was that familiarity?

"I ordered our food at LEAST five minutes ago and haven't even gotten the starters of my Bottomless Pit out yet," an all too familiar voice whined behind me. "That's just sad. What happened to my special treatment? Don't I have rights?" I whirled around and tackled the invisible vampire brat standing behind me.

"MARSHALL-LEE! It's been years, kid, how've you been?" He laughed and hugged me back, revealing himself to the people around him. I looked him up and down. He looked a little thin, and a little tired. Something was going on, I was sure of it. He pulled away from me casually as he gave me the once over.

"You look good, Tilly," he said, avoiding my question. No matter, I'll get it out of him later, I thought. He walked over to the blonde sitting at the bar and put an arm around her shoulder.

"This is my friend Fionna. I thought it'd be good for her to meet you crazy bloodsuckers and chill here at the good old Hole in the Wall for a bit. I figured she'd like it here." He was trying to be casual and act like it was no big deal, but I was no fool; I could tell immediately that Marshall had a thing for this chick, who looked extremely uncomfortable. Marshall was up to something.

Kaid was right. Trouble was definitely in the air.

 **Let me know what you think, guys! I hope you enjoyed this first glimpse into the mind of one of my favorite original characters...**

 **Also, the band is called Silverbane for this reason: the twin girls Kirava and Roxann are only half blood vampires, and this makes them immune to silver's usual affect on vampires. Thanks for your ideas, guys! Keep 'em coming!**

 **R &R, people!**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Fionna's POV

"Fionna, what a beautiful name," The dark, mysterious woman said. She had dark gray skin, and white hair that was pulled up into a messy bun. Her bright green eyes were outlined with thick black liner, and she was wearing dark red lipstick. She had a bright purple halter top apron on over a black leather vest and a pair of worn skinny blue jeans, with black combat boots. Altogether she looked pretty intimidating, and extremely familiar.

"The name's Otillia, but you can call me Tilly like everyone else. Did Marshall drag you down here to meet the family, or what?" My jaw dropped.

"Um, I've met his mom before, but I didn't realize he had any other family around…" At that, Tilly and her- husband? Boyfriend?- the big guy named Kaid started laughing really hard.

"No, hon, that's not what I meant," Tilly said. "I'm his ex's mom."

"You're… You're Ashley's mom?" She nodded, a little suspiciously. I was shocked. Ashley's mom? What? That didn't make any sense to me. Apparently my shock registered to them, because they all got awkwardly quiet.

"Wow," Ozzie, a handsome young man who looked to be about my age, cleared his throat. "You didn't tell her, Marsh?" I gawked at the security guard, and he turned to make eye contact with me. I blushed and looked down at the counter, embarrassed both for myself and for Marshall-Lee, who was now flustered.

"Um, no, not really," he stated awkwardly. "I mean, after I moved out of here and stuff I just didn't talk much about any of you. I didn't talk about you guys at all… So…" Thankfully the waitress showed up just at the right moment.

"I've got one Holy Grail, a Big Red with extra Red on the side, and a Bottomless Pit with Scream Sauce and the Classics here for you," the flame-haired girl said as she set the plates down in front of me. "Hot plate," she warned before walking off. "Enjoy! Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you." She looked over her shoulder as she walked back to the kitchen. "Good to see you again, Marshall-Lee!" I looked down at the mountain of chili cheese fries in front of me, and the humongous burger, and the extra fries with dishes of sauce.

"Thanks, Bex. You, too! A lot of food, huh, Fi?" Marshall said as he sat down on the stool next to me. "Don't worry, I'll help you out." He grabbed a chili-covered fry, dunked it in the spicy stuff, and popped it into his mouth, surprising me.

"I thought you only ate the color red," I couldn't help but say. Everyone stared at me then, while Marshall again laughed at me. He dipped his finger in the Scream Sauce, which I could smell was spicy from here- really spicy.

"Fionna, don't be ridiculous. Yeah, we eat the color red. It's a good blood substitute. Helps keep the bloodlust at bay. But we eat regular food too." I blinked at him, and he licked the hot sauce off his finger, and winked. And then I looked around at the others, and realized…

"Wait," I said. "You guys are Ashley's family. Are you… You're all vampires, too, then! Right?" Tilly smiled and nodded.

"Well, yeah," she said. "Except Kaid and the younger girls. Kaid is actually half water elemental, half demon." I glanced over at the big man, and saw his tanned skin and bulky muscles that contrasted with his shockingly pale blue eyes. Another thing I noticed, his eyes were practically all pale blue iris, not a hint of white, with tiny black slits for pupils in the center… It made him look extremely cat-like. He was bald, with thick, dark eyebrows, and he was covered in tattoos; he showed them off by wearing a plain white wife beater with his stone-washed jeans. He smiled at me, revealing his pointed teeth- all of them very white and very sharp, with protruding lower fangs.

"So… You're not a vampire, then?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Actually, I am," he said, his deep voice throaty and rich. As he spoke I noticed that his lower fangs peeked out over his upper lip when he shut his mouth. "I'm just not pure-blooded like Tilly, Ozzie, and Ash. My girls and I are mutts." Tilly walked over to the big man and wrapped herself around him, giggling like a little kid.

"I like mutts just fine," she teased, giving him an affectionate kiss on the cheek. I glanced at Marshall, who was grinning with a mouthful of burger in his mouth. He pretended to gag before making his joke.

"You two lovebirds are gonna make me sick," he said after he swallowed. "When are the girls gonna start the midnight show? They're running late." Ozzie rolled his large, warm, gold eyes back into his head. I just couldn't get over it; this guy was hot! He was tall, built like a bear, had pale gray skin and shaggy dark maroon hair pulled back into a short spiky ponytail, and those rich gold eyes… He looked right at me, catching me staring at him.

"They should be starting any minute now," he said, not breaking eye contact with me. I could feel the crimson rising on my cheeks as I blushed furiously. I forced myself to look away as he continued speaking. "They don't know you're here. You should go surprise them and get in on some of the action. Folks around here haven't had entertainment like you in years."

I peeked at Marshall as I grabbed a fry and shoved it into my mouth, trying hard not to look at Ozzie. Marshall stood and gulped down the rest of his drink- something called the "360 Degrees", an alcoholic drink that Kaid had started mixing as soon as Marshall sat down at the bar. Apparently it was his regular.

I had forgotten that Marshall was old enough to drink alcohol legally… I often forgot that, since he's a vampire, he hasn't aged or changed much at all over hundreds of years. I wondered how old Ozzie, Tilly, and the rest of Marshall's strange "family" were. Ozzie looked to be about my age, but he could be hundreds or even thousands of years old. And Tilly was Ashley's mom? She was probably at least two or three thousand years old… Maybe older.

"Hey, come on, Fionna, pay attention!" I turned and looked at Marshall, who was floating upside down with his face in front of mine.

"What?" I stuttered, surprised. He flipped over and sat on the bar, a concerned look etched onto his sharp features. He placed a cold hand on my shoulder, and leaned in close.

"You okay, Fi?" I nodded, shrugging his hand off my shoulder.

"I'm fine," I said. "Just a little overwhelmed. Wasn't this supposed to be fun? Honestly, all you've done so far is freak me out." He sighed and rolled off the bar, standing on his feet next to me.

"You just need to relax. Don't worry, you've met almost everyone. I just need to properly introduce you to Bex and the twins- Roxann and Kirava. They'll like you, I promise. Don't worry about that. But you seriously need to relax." He took my hand and pulled me to my feet. I sighed.

"Fine," I muttered. Marshall pulled me into a quick hug, then spun me around and I found myself face to face with Ozzie.

"Great! Hey, Oz, why don't you take her to the dance floor and show her your moves while I go find the twins?" The other vampire smiled and shrugged casually.

"Sure," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Let's go, then." He started walking away, and Marshall put his finger under my chin and made me look at him.

"Remember, have fun. Relax. Don't worry about anything," he said softly. "Tonight is all about you, okay?" I nodded, and he took a deep breath. Still don't quite get why he does that. "Okay. Go," he said, turning and pushing me toward Ozzie, who was waiting for me at the top of a short flight of stairs.

"You like dancing?" He asked, leaning in close to my ear in order to make himself heard over the music. I nodded, and he smiled. "Good. Me, too."

 **Hey, guys, I figured since I had this short chapter done I'd just get posting it** **over with** **. I** **didn't enjoy writing this one as much, solely because I relate to Fionna. I've actually been in a similar situation... Just kinda dumped on someone else by someone I cared about, trusted. He wasn't thinking. I get that. But... Still. What a jerk!**

 **Also I am basically in love with Ozzie. If you could envision him in your mind's eye like I do... Mmmm... He's HAWT!**

 **Enjoy, read, and review... Even if you didn't really enjoy it... I just want honest feedback, you guys! :3**


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